Sunday, June 24, 2007

Help Make Eid an Official NYC Public School Holiday

I was forwarded this email and consider it important enough to post on a blog as a means of getting the word out on helping make Eid a Holiday in NYC school - kids get off to be with their families, and perhaps come to understand that Muslims like the Jews and Christians, can look forward to days off on their religious days.

From: Senator John Sabini To: 'John Sabini'

Subject: URGENT ACTION ALERT: Help Make Eid an Official NYC Public School Holiday

Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:11:06 -0400

Dear Friend:

Earlier this year, I introduced a bill in the New York State Senate that makes Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr official holidays in New York City public schools.

This bill, S3142, would have a significantly better chance of passing if you and other supporters would call, email or fax your respective State Senators and tell them to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. I have prepared a brief guide (below) to help you simply and effectively accomplish this. With the Senate's regular session ending on Thursday, June 21, it is urgent that this be done as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please contact Shams Tarek in my District Office at (718) 639-8469.

Sincerely,

JOHN D. SABINISenator

STATE SENATOR JOHN D. SABINI

Eid School Holiday Bill (S3142) Supporter's Guide

1) How to Get Your State Senator's Contact Info

If you don't already know who your State Senator is, find out by visiting www.nypirg.org and clicking on the "Who Represents Me?" link on the left-hand side. This site will list all of your elected representatives, as well as their email addresses and District Office telephone numbers. To get a State Senator's Albany office number through this method, call the District Office and ask. If you live outside New York City, the "Who Represents Me" site won't work; use the "Senators" link on www.senate.state.ny.us. If you cannot visit the Web, contact my District Office at (718) 639-8469.

2) If You Want to Call

If you want to call your State Senator about my Eid School Holiday Bill, call his or her Albany office (518 area code). You will most likely have to leave a message with a staff member. You may use the following sample script:

Hello, my name is [your full name] and I'm one of your constituents. I would like Senator [your State Senator's last name] to please support S3142, which makes Eid, the holiest day of the Muslim calendar, a public school holiday in New York City.

3) If You Want to Fax or Email

If you want to write your State Senator, you may use the following sample message:

Dear Senator [your State Senator's last name]:

As someone who cares about the right of Muslim students in New York City--who make up 10 percent of the public school population there--to observe their religion without disruption, I urge you to please support S3142. This important bill would make Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr, two of Islam's holiest days of the year, official public school holidays. The days have been recognized on the New York City Department of Transportation's Parking Calendar for years; it's time for the Department of Education to recognize them, too.

Sincerely,

[your full name]

[your home address]

4) OPTIONAL: In addition to contacting your own State Senator, call, fax or email:

- Majority (Republican) State Senators who represent parts of New York City or other areas with large Muslim populations. They include Senators Serphin Maltese, Frank Padavan and Martin Golden.

About Me

"It goes a long way back, some twenty years. All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naive. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: That I am nobody but myself."